Spot fixing scandal: Special cell report by month-end

“Matches are not taken seriously…and there is rampant, uncontrolled hobnobbing between players and bookmakers’, a report into the ‘grey findings’ of the Delhi Police special cell into the recent spot-fixing scandal will read according to highly-placed sources.

The said report, which outgoing Delhi Police Commissioner Neeraj Kumar first mentioned in an interview to HT on Wednesday, is being given final touches and will be submitted before the month-end.

Though the top cop refused to comment on its contents, sources claimed it aimed at ‘sensitising the state’ about lack of ‘adequate administrative control’ on the tournament.

“Not just players participating in the Indian Premier League (IPL), but even the franchise owners don’t take the matches being played seriously,” said an officer who has contributed to the report.

“Apart from the use of female escorts, players are lured by bookmakers — who play a major role in the entire tournament — into activities which infringe conditions of the contract which they sign.”

The report will have the tone and tenor of a report submitted by the police commissioner on lotteries during his tenure as deputy commissioner of the crime branch in the year 1991-92.

“It was on the basis of the report that lotteries were banned throughout the country. This time, his report will just argue for more administrative control over the IPL,” said another officer.

Meanwhile, police sources said their investigations include having subjected players participating in the tournament to lie detector tests, which, however, came out negative.

The commissioner refused to divulge any details about their identities but sources said these included both Indian and international players whose names had cropped up during the interrogation of arrested bookies and players.

“We will file a detailed report to the government about our findings soon. Investigations have revealed many facts which need to be stated at the earliest,” was all that the commissioner was willing to reveal.